Joint operation of the Tax Agency and the National Police

• The members of the criminal network, run from a small town in Asturias, acquired sailboats to cross the Atlantic Ocean and supply themselves in South America with the narcotic substance that they later introduced into Spain.
• Twelve people have been arrested in Asturias, Las Palmas, Madrid, Malaga and Valencia, and more than 100 bank accounts have been blocked and more than a tonne of cocaine, three boats, more than 200,000 euros in cash and nearly 50 companies that they used to launder the money have been seized.

November 4, 2022.- Customs Surveillance officials of the Tax Agency, in a joint operation with agents of the National Police, have dismantled, with the arrest of twelve people, a criminal organization allegedly dedicated to large-scale cocaine trafficking by sailboats from South America to Spain. The criminal structure, run from a small town in Asturias, acquired sailboats to cross the Atlantic Ocean and supply themselves with cocaine that they later brought into Spain.

During the operation, more than a tonne of cocaine was seized from a sailboat seized by the Tax Agency's Customs Surveillance Service last September, along with three vessels, more than 200,000 euros in cash and nearly 50 companies used to launder money from drug sales. In addition, more than 100 bank accounts have been blocked.

The investigation began in 2018, when investigators detected the presence of a criminal network based in Spain that was dedicated to smuggling cocaine from different parts of South America. Initial investigations led to the discovery of several people who, from the island of Gran Canaria, purchased sailboats to cross the Atlantic Ocean and stock up on cocaine that they later brought into Spain.

Subsequent investigations revealed the complete structure of the criminal organisation, and its leader was fully identified, who was implicated in numerous investigations carried out by different European countries. Such was his influence as the leader of the organisation that he managed both the acquisition of drugs in South America and their transport and distribution throughout Europe via Spain without having to travel or meet with other organisations. He did so, specifically, from a small Asturian municipality.

A counter-surveillance group for the security of the organization

The organization made large investments in security to try to secure its internal communications and thus avoid being detected. They also used cutting-edge technology, with the latest generation of mobile phones, and even had groups integrated into the organization that carried out counter-surveillance when meetings took place.

In addition, they had created 50 companies that they used as fronts for laundering money from drug sales. This network of companies was spread throughout Spain with connections in Panama, Colombia and other European countries, where they created 'straw men'. The role of these front men was to make it difficult to identify the people who were truly responsible for the commercial transactions used for money laundering.

A laboratory to extract the drug

To complete the investigation, more than a dozen searches were carried out throughout Spain, including the dismantling of a laboratory in Valencia used to separate drugs from legal substances. They used this to extract the previously mixed narcotic in the countries of origin in an attempt to evade police controls.

Among the narcotic substances seized were 1,275 kilograms of cocaine, 1,140 grams of marijuana, 100 grams of hashish, amphetamines in the form of pills and hallucinogenic mushrooms. Three boats were also seized, one of them 27 metres long and valued at 700,000 euros, nine high-end vehicles, 223,000 euros in cash, various computer equipment, 44 mobile phones, two firearms and a multitude of high-end jewellery and watches.